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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22426696">You Can’t Leave. Not yet.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demmy_gal123/pseuds/Demmy_gal123'>Demmy_gal123</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Atticus is late, I love Jem and Scout, Its my first fic of TKAM so don’t come at me, Jem cries a lot, Jem is six and kinda mature, Scout is two and innocent, cake fixes everything</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:33:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22426696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demmy_gal123/pseuds/Demmy_gal123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jem was walking home from school excepting to find his mother and sister waiting for him like every other day. Boy was he wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(not really tho) - Relationship, Jem Finch &amp; Scout Finch &amp; Atticus Finch, Maudie Atkinson/Atticus Finch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Facts before:<br/>Plot: Mrs. Finch dies and Jem is the first to find her. Scout is confused and Jem acts somewhat mature about it cause he’s strong boy even tho he is 6<br/>Ages and characters: Scout is 2, Jem is 6, Atticus is in his 40’s I think, oh and Miss Maudie is here too. She’s also in her 40’s. Not sure how old Mrs Finch is.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jem had just gotten out of school after a long day of first grade. At least it was long for him. They wouldn’t even let him read or say the abc’s. They told him that if his parents were teaching him, they were doing it wrong. He kept quiet when his teacher told him and he just nodded his head. He’s still going to continue reading though. The teacher doesn’t have to know..</p><p><br/>He had gotten to the oak tree by the Radley’s house that his mother and sister normally met him at, but today, he didn’t see them. He stopped on the corner, wondering if he should just wait because maybe they were running late. Or maybe his baby sister had gotten sick. If that were it then Cal would be home with her and his mother should still meet him. Maybe Mama was sick...</p><p><br/>He pressed his lips together and went against his conscious, continuing home, dragging his feet on the dirt, getting his shoes dusty. He glanced over at the Radley’s place while passing, squinting his eyes at the window to see if he could maybe just get a small glance of Boo.</p><p><br/>Boo Radley had always been Maycomb’s horror story to share to any people passing through the town. He just wanted to see him and see if these stories that everyone talks about are true. Atticus would have his head if he knew he was trying to look again, but he couldn’t find himself to care at the moment. A branch had suddenly smacked into the window and he jumped at the sound, looking at the window with wide eyes before moving on, his house already in sight. Must be Boo didn’t want any company today.</p><p><br/>He ignored Miss Maudie’s wave as he passed by her house and he ran inside to go find the comforting embrace of his mother.</p><p><br/>He got inside and glanced around for Cal or his mother. He heard his sister in the living room, babbling to herself. If she’s in there then Mama has got to be in there with her. He knows his parents would never let the 2 year old around alone. They wouldn’t even let her alone with him yet. He slipped into the living room and looked around for someone, raising an eyebrow when only seeing Scout, sitting in the middle of the floor, playing with one of Atticus’ law books.</p><p><br/>He walked over to her, grabbing her arms, pulling her up then he grabbed her hand, walking to her room. “Mama’s sleepin’” Scout muttered, walking next to him.</p><p><br/>Jem paused, looking down at his sister before looking towards their parents room. “She is?”</p><p><br/>Scout nodded her head and began to walk towards said room. She pushed the door open as much as she could before pulling him inside and over to their mother.</p><p><br/>Jem let go of her hand and went to their mothers side, watching her chest. Atticus told him that if a person’s chest is moving up and down then they ain’t dead. Her chest wasn’t moving. Panic began to set in. He climbed onto the bed, beginning to shake her, his eyes growing wide.</p><p><br/>“Mama? Mama, please wake up, this ain’t funny. You can’t leave now Mama, Scout and me need ya. Atticus needs you, please Mama.” Tears began to fall down his face.</p><p> </p><p>He could hear Scout jumping up, pulling at the blankets, trying to climb up to see what was upsetting her brother, but he ignored her, staring at his mother’s corpse, before a sob shook him.<br/>He needed to get Atticus. Miss Maudie is across the street. She can call him.<br/>Jem slipped down off the bed, tears openly falling down his face.</p><p><br/>“C’mon Scout, we’re gonna go on a walk.” He said to her brokenly. His sister beamed at him and she waddled out of their parent’s room and to the screen door. Jem followed her out, wiping the tears still strolling down his face. He opened the door and let her step out before following behind her. He glanced over and saw Miss Maudie, watering her flowers.</p><p><br/>He looked at Scout before running over to Miss Maudie’s yard. “Miss Maudie! Can you call Atticus? Please! It’s an emergency! Mama won’t wake up and she ain’t breathing or nothin’ an Scout here says that she’s been asleep for who knows how long!” His vision grew more blurry the longer he stood there and he let out another sob, suddenly finding it hard to keep himself calm as the thought of his mother being dead set in more.<br/>Miss Maudie’s eyes widened and she grabbed his shoulders, rushing him to the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Good gracious child! I’ll call him up right away! You collect your sister then come on in for some cake to calm you.” She said to him.</p><p><br/>Jem watched her rush inside and over to the phone and he sighed. He turned around and looked at Scout, who was carelessly sitting in the middle of the road, playing with a pile of dirt carelessly, not understanding what had made her brother upset in the first place.</p><p><br/>“Scout! Scout! Get outta the road before someone hits ya!” He screamed.</p><p> </p><p>Scout looked up from her pile before seemingly thinking about what she wanted to do. She surely made the right choice when she stood up and walked over to Jem.<br/>He sighed and waited for her to read him before opening the door, shoving her inside gently.</p><p><br/>Miss Maudie glances over once hearing the door open, still talking to Eula May, trying to get her to get her Atticus. Once it must’ve worked, her voice grew more panicked as she explained to him what Jem had saw.</p><p><br/>Jem frowned and he crossed his arms, looking down at his feet, letting the thought sink in more. There’s gonna be no more Mama to meet him home from school. No more Mama to yell at him to clean his room. No more Mama hug him when he cried or when he was hurt. She’s gone now.</p><p><br/>He was ripped out of his thoughts when he felt a tug at him pants. He looked down at Scout, raising an eyebrow at her, stepping away, disgusted on how calm she is right now. How she doesn’t get it that no Mama is gonna hold her when she cries now.</p><p><br/>“What do you want?” He sneered at her, crossing his arms tighter across his chest.</p><p><br/>She must’ve not understood his dark tone cause she responded with big innocent eyes, looking up at him.</p><p><br/>“Why you cryin’?”</p><p><br/>He looked at her blankly for a moment before only getting more angry with her. Why would he not be crying? All he wanted to do was push her or shake her or something and make her realize that Mama is gone. She’s dead and never coming back. Thankfully before he could do any of those things to his baby sister, Miss Maudie scooped her up, resting her on her hip, putting her free hand on Jem’s back.</p><p><br/>“Let’s get y’all some cake. I’m sure it’ll help you Jem Finch.” Miss Maudie lead him to the kitchen then sat him down.</p><p>She put Scout on a chair next to him, letting her stand so she could see the top of the table. She got out three plates and then set them down carefully on the table. She brought over a pan then opened it, setting it down before cutting out three pieces of cake.<br/>Jem dug right in the moment he was given a fork, trying to focus on the cake in front of him instead of who was lying lifelessly in his house across the street.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     A little while went by, Jem stayed in the kitchen, talking as calmly as he could with Miss Maudie, while she listened and tried to entertain Scout at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>Jem heard an engine outside and he instantly knew it was his father. He shot up and ran outside, skipping the steps on the porch and ran right to his father’s car.</p><p> </p><p>“Atticus!” He screamed, running up to the side of the car once it was stopped. Atticus got out silently, pursing his lips together, moving around him, practically running to the door. His eyes seemed to be a little watery and they had a tiny glare of lightly.</p><p> </p><p>Jem watched his father in slightly disbelief that he would skip over him in a time like this and also that he was running. He hadn’t seen Atticus run like that since the day Scout came into this world.</p><p> </p><p>He stayed next to the car, his arms hanging loosely to his side, his eyes traveling over to the road once a new car pulled up. A doctor with a huge briefcase came rushing out and into the house. He looked past the car and across the street where he could see Miss Maudie watching on her porch, holding Scout, having what seemed a permanent frown plastered on her face. When he looked long enough, he swore he could see tears.</p><p> </p><p>Jem pressed his lips into a line and faced the door before slowly making his way inside and to the living room. He knew Atticus would want him to stay out with Miss Maudie, but he couldn’t help but be curious. Distantly, he could hear the quiet murmurs of the Doctor and the choked breaths and quiet whispers of his father.</p><p> </p><p>Jem sat down in Atticus’ chair and he pulled his legs up to his chest, closing his eyes. Out of everything he could’ve thought to happen to his family, this is not one of those things. Scout and he were supposed to live happily throughout the years with both loving parents. Not just one. They were supposed to be able to talk about their mother in a present tense like all the other children. Not talk about things that are just memories.</p><p> </p><p>He sat there for what felt like forever until he heard footsteps approaching. He cracked his eyes open and he looked up at Atticus, watching him inch closer. Atticus scooped up Jem into his arms and he sat down and held him tightly, his breath uneven and short. Jem looked at his face and he could clearly see the tear tracks on his face. There were no tears in the moment but Jem knew. He stayed silent, taking it in, trying to find comfort in his father’s arms, but he was itching for answers.</p><p> </p><p>“Is Mama dead?” He asked quietly, pushing away to look at Atticus’ face fully. He had to know for sure. He hoped he was wrong.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus paused a moment, closing his eyes, inhaling a shaking breath before nodding slowly. “Yes son.”</p><p> </p><p>“So we never gon’ talk with her again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m afraid so…” Jem frowned and he looked away.</p><p> </p><p>“Will Scout remember her?” He mumbled, sliding off his lap.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know..” Jem scowled a little at that. She’d better remember their Mama. Or else she has something coming once she gets bigger.</p><p> </p><p>He heard the screen door quietly then jumped a little at the slam that followed after it. He and Atticus looked over at the door to see Miss Maudie holding fidgety Scout. They both had tears and seemed to be upset. Upset about two different things. Atticus frowned and stood up taking Scout then he looked at Jem, motioning him to follow.</p><p> </p><p>Atticus lead him into the combined rooms. He put Scout down on her bed then he glanced at Jem. “Stay here and watch her a moment. I’ll come get you in a few minutes.” He said distantly, walking out the door, gently shutting it.</p><p> </p><p>Jem frowned and huffed, glancing at Scout. He watched her curl up to take a small nap. </p><p> </p><p>He sat next to her, staring off into space, wondering now how many nights it would take him to heal.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whelp that’s it! This took me a little while to think of, but it just kinda came to me randomly. I’m not very happy with the ending, but it works I suppose.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So like I said before, this my first To Kill a Mockingbird fanfiction. Like mostly everyone else into this book, it’s because of English class. The mentioning of their mother was so brief that I felt unsatisfied, so I took it upon myself to write how I believe she was found. I’ll add Chapter 2 eventually. When? Dunno</p></blockquote></div></div>
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